Daystar

by Darcy Town

  Dahlia grinned. “How about Fiji.” Flick. “Then over to Hawaii and then a hop to New Zealand. Then if you want, you can go island hopping in Indonesia.”

  Whitney wiggled in place. “Awesome!”

  “If you are feeling like a change, jump down to the Antarctic.”

  “Snow place!” Whitney grinned. “Make it have mountains for skiing!”

  Dahlia nodded. “Done. Now go down there and start taking apart the roads and buildings. Leave the metal behind, Belial can take that apart later.”

  Whitney folded her arms. “Where do you want the broken apart stuff?”

  “Incorporate it back into the ground where it came from.”

  “Okay dokay. Remember, I want an orchard all to myself!” Whitney dropped towards the planet.

  Dahlia danced and twisted in the air. She created waterways instead of roads. The Amazon twisted into the Nile into the Mississippi. She raised mountains impossibly high. Mesas shifted to form cliffs that hung over the ground for miles. She focused on the Grand Canyon and made it much longer and deeper. Lush oases popped up in the brutally hot desert that had formed in the southeast corner of her new super continent.

  The landmass glittered in the sunlight. Inland freshwater seas turned to marshes and vast expanses of swamp, all of it fed by the large twisting rivers that crisscrossed the land. Dahlia watched the City rise to the surface. She dropped closer to get a better view. She waited until it settled, then she carved out a giant bay to let in seawater to the east. At the northern end of the City, a huge freshwater lake joined with the palace grounds. Dahlia sang as she watched forests burst forth along the ground to the south of the City.

  A sparkle marked where Ra flitted among her pyramids in the desert. Dahlia had kept her cities intact and Ra pulled the ancient structures out of the sand and refurbished them in gold and gemstones.

  In the ocean, Leviathan did the same for Atlantis, the water rival to the land bound City. Dahlia smiled. The City was the centerpiece, Atlantis ruled in the east, Ra’s city stood to the south. In the far north, Ifrit and Chronos uncovered a sparkling obsidian collection of homes and temples, long unused. It was their city of time, death, and fire.

  Dahlia looked to the empty west. She swept her arm and sandy beaches stretched from what had been Alaska down to where the Amazon now met the ocean. Dahlia swirled her finger around and created a huge whirlpool out in the ocean. She considered erasing it. She watched it swirl, shrugged, and left it as is.

  Dahlia hummed and a sparkle caught her eye. She reached out and uprooted a city in its entirety, what was left of it at least. Dahlia made an area clear on the western coast. She set Paris down a few miles in from the sea, replacing the Seine with a new river. The city managed to remain relatively intact. The latitude was the same, the weather patterns, flora, and fauna similar. Dahlia had never been to Paris. Now she could.

  Dahlia reached out and picked up parts of New York, Vienna, and Tokyo, they became Parisian suburbs. She called out, “Helion!”

  Helion flew towards her. He carried Michelangelo’s David. “Yes? Things moved just now, that was confusing…”

  “But we were fine.” Jacob flew behind him, mostly transparent. He hauled paintings.

  “Put the art in Paris.” Dahlia flicked her wrists. “The museums will be intact.” Helion nodded and dropped away.

  Jacob nodded to her. “Thank you for the excuse to escape. Helion still had to get rather assertive though.”

  Dahlia smirked. “Girls getting to be too much for you?”

  Jacob sighed. “They don’t even like me that much, Dahlia. I think they just want to have more sylph babies.” He frowned. “My body is being used as a baby-making sex-doll, or something. If this is all I have to look forward to, I’m not thrilled. Done and next please.”

  Dahlia smiled and touched his hand. His body fluctuated, became solid. Small glittering blue scales formed on his temples and the tops of his hands and feet. Webbed wings popped out of his back. His hair color matched the blue of the sky. His teeth sharpened into points and his eyes glinted gold. She let him go. “There.”

  Jacob looked himself over. “Now what am I?”

  Dahlia shrugged. “Remember that badass dragon you painted for our final project?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, now you can turn into it. Sylph no longer, dragon man! Get a stable girlfriend.”

  He grinned. “Serious?”

  “Serious.”

  “Nice!”

  Dahlia smirked as he shifted to a dragon the size of a blue whale. Jacob held the art in one claw and chased after Helion, blowing blue flame as he went.

  Dahlia spoke to the air, “Berith.”

  Berith flew from the surface to join her. “The industrial and radioactive waste has been recycled. The garbage dumps have been reclaimed and no longer dot the land.”

  “Good. I would like power restored to Paris, set something up for me. Draw in whomever you need. Then go see to Apple, she has got to be tired after all of this.”

  Berith flew towards the ground, leaving Dahlia to examine her work. She swept her hand to the side and the planet rotated beneath her. One vast ocean covered the rest of the planet. Dahlia pointed and an island formed. She created fourteen such places with fourteen different habitats. She ringed the supercontinent with them. She smiled and nodded to herself. “Perfect.”

  ***

  Paimon, Belial, and Andrealphus stood braced against the walls of the house. Andy puffed out his cheeks as the tremors stopped. “I think we reached the surface.”

  “We have.” Belial dipped her head and stared out a window. “I can only imagine there’s going to be some kind of celebration. This place hasn’t seen the light of day in centuries.”

  Paimon slumped onto the boxes and furniture that they’d been pulling out of storage. “I have to get this cleaned soon! Why did we bring it all out?”

  Andy patted him on the shoulder. “You wanted to search through it, remember?”

  “Oh.” Paimon frowned. “What was I looking for?”

  “Furcas’ favorite slippers.”

  “Right, did we find them?”

  “No.” Andy shook his head.

  Paimon stood up straight. “Then we need to keep looking!”

  ***

  Dahlia waited next to Apple on the Great Plains. To the east, the City rose into the sky, taller than the tallest human buildings, larger by far than any human city. Dahlia turned in a slow circle. All around them humans stood in lines as far as the eye could see. Every single human was asleep on their feet, kept that way by Apple and Gaea.

  Male and female Lilliam of each family line waited with their corresponding family elder. King Morgan and his wife Queen Daphne stood closest to Dahlia with a team of elves, fairies, centaurs, and nymphs. The categories of Lilliam became stranger the further that one walked in either direction.

  Aita and Persephone hiked over, trailed by banshee and masked gorgons. Aita bowed. “Dahlia, if we know the divisions, may we take our new family into the dark before the conversion?” The undead portion of the City stayed below the earth, connected to the City via caves and waterways. Many of the undead could not stand direct sunlight.

  Dahlia nodded. “Of course, please do so now.”

  Aita nodded and hurried back to his area. He gestured to Hephaestus to pull their group of humans below the earth.

  Dahlia waited until this completed before addressing Apple, “Are you ready?”

  Apple nodded, panting. “Yes, the sooner the better.”

  “Did you impart the information?”

  Apple nodded. “They’ll each have the same history lessons we were all taught as children. They’ll wake up knowing the basics, the timeline, the languages, everything.”

  “Good.” She took Apple’s hands. “Let us get this over with. Begin transmission.”

  Dahlia took a breath and launched into her speech, “Greetings. Our world has irrevocably changed. Most of you were not a
ware that creatures called Lilliam walked the earth with you, before you, or that angels existed, or even that this planet is a battleground in a war that has been going on since the creation. But this is truth and it is truth that you must accept.”

  The message played for everyone: Lilliam and sleeping humans, Archangels of Heaven, and Archangels of Hell.

  “All that were once human were created of my body. I am Dahlia, formerly known as Ladriam Evenstar. I am the Primangel of matter. My consort is Lucifer Morningstar, the Primangel of energy. All that currently live on this planet, whether Lilliam or human, are from our bodies or our union and we seek to keep you safe from further harm.

  “I know that everyone has suffered unimaginable losses over the past week whether from the riots, the attacks you now know were not random, or the shifting in the earth itself. I too have lost, my Archangels have losses, but we are not without hope.

  “Our home is under siege. It is a battleground; a place that I fear shall soon be attacked directly by those seeking to destroy us, the force of Heaven. When you awaken you will see the world a different place, your homes gone, your conveniences disappeared, but for now, this is the only way we can live. I cannot protect the scattered and lost. This world has become my fortress and I will keep you sheltered within its walls.

  “When this war concludes five cities will be open for residence, they are Atlantis.” She looked at Ra who was beaming. “Ra-Giza, Necrocoenosis, Paris, and the City, renamed Eden. For now, all citizens must remain in Eden, for their safety.

  “A human is a fragile thing, without protections, without the healing and longevity of a Lilliam. Heaven made humans to be this way. I am removing that weakness in each one of you. What happens next can only be experienced, but know that it involves reawakening in all of you your ancient bloodlines. Know that you are all accepted with open arms and love.”

  Dahlia ended her message.

  Apple opened her eyes. “Ready?”

  “Ready as I will ever be.” Dahlia sent a pulse through Apple.

  The air over the humans shimmered. Within each human, a change took place. Their blood stirred and portions of DNA long considered garbage and useless, turned on under Dahlia’s influence. The humans changed shape, size and color; reverting to the largest portion of Lilliam blood within them.

  A small group remained to the side, some hundred thousand that made up the remnants of the Solomon Soldiers. Pureblood humans they had never interbred at any point in their existence. For now, they remained human.

  Dahlia released Apple and allowed the changed humans to wake. The Lilliam delegates swept in and set about dividing the newly converted Lilliam, drawing them into smaller orientation groups. Already Eden had quadrupled in size, expanded to include new homes and community centers. The second and third generation Lilliam took charge and Dahlia left them to it. She looked past Apple to the Solomon Soldiers, still sleeping.

  Apple followed her gaze. “What do we do with them?”

  Dahlia frowned. “For now? Give them to Chronos and keep them in stasis. I do not have the time to waste with killers and zealots.”

  Berith padded over and pointed up. “We have an audience.”

  Dahlia looked towards the sky. “Excellent. Are they all there?”

  Berith nodded. “Yes and one is new.”

  Dahlia grinned. “I am going up.”

  Whitney and Apple grabbed her arms. “You are not battling them!”

  “Battling them? No, I am not. I was thinking more on the order of taunting them. Come with?” Dahlia soared into the sky. Apple, Berith, Whitney, and Helion followed behind her. Dahlia flew straight up, stopping when she was mere meters beneath the shield.

  Beyond it, Michael and the other Archangels watched. He backed away when he saw her draw near. He pointed the spear at the planet. “What can you hope to accomplish with that?”

  Dahlia held out her fingers. “One, you can no longer fuck with my humans, they are humans no longer. Two, that irritates you and I so enjoy doing that. Three, it brought you all here for this wonderful occasion, and I wanted all of you here, within reach.” She looked at the Archangels, her gaze lingering on one.

  Michael appeared nervous. “What are you speaking of?”

  Dahlia flashed into space, grabbed Jegudiel, and flashed back beneath the shield. Jegudiel gaped, too surprised to even struggle. Dahlia looked at her prize. “Mine, thank you.”

  Selaphiel snarled. “Give him back!” He dove for the shield.

  Raphael grabbed him and hauled him backwards. “You will die if you cross the shield.” He eyed Dahlia. “He is not in eminent danger with her.”

  Dahlia wrapped her arms around a petrified Jegudiel. “Of course not, he belongs with us.”

  Michael was furious. “He can escape you!”

  Dahlia touched Jegudiel’s forehead. “No, that ability of yours to flit around as you do is removed. Thanks for coming, bye!”

  Dahlia dropped into a dive with Jegudiel firmly in her grips. Apple and the others soared alongside her.

  Berith frowned. “What are we doing with him?”

  Dahlia smiled. “Talking for the moment, leave us please.”

  The others dropped away. Dahlia and Jegudiel broke off and circled in the thin air above the clouds. She held Jegudiel from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. She spoke into his ear, “Hello.”

  Jegudiel flinched. “Are you going to kill me now?”

  “Kill you? Kill the Archangel of Love? I think not.”

  He gulped. “Then am I a hostage?”

  She smiled. “Only until you switch sides.”

  “Switch sides?” He stared at the ground, confused. “You are fallen angels!”

  Dahlia frowned. “Are we really still Fallen if we have our wings back? I do not think so. Our side is back to being strong. Angels once more.”

  He went rigid in her arms. “You cannot force to me to join you!”

  “Of course not.” She laughed. “You will join us of your own free will.”

  “I will not!”

  Dahlia flipped Jegudiel over so that he faced her. “You have no purpose in Heaven. I offer you a purpose here.”

  “I rule over love!”

  She ran a hand through his wavy blonde hair and pinched his youthful cheeks. “Yes and there is just so much of that in Heaven is there not?”

  He looked away. “There is love there—”

  “You cannot say that with honesty.” Dahlia watched his face. “There is worship, obedience, and fear. Love, the kind you desire to see, that which you have never experienced before, is here. I know you seek this.”

  “You do not—”

  “I do!” Dahlia brought his face close to hers. “You seek to know of love between friends, love between family, and love between lovers. You have been in a drought. I offer you an overflowing river, Jegudiel. I am giving you a gift, which if you were smart you would accept.”

  He frowned. “Why are you doing this? I am less than useless. I cannot fight, I am clumsy, and I offer your side nothing except advantage against my brother. The others, Uriel, would have had me dead sometime before if it were not for Selaphiel. No one needs me.”

  Dahlia looked at him seriously. “I have a friend that needs you dearly.”

  Jegudiel searched her eyes. “Why would anyone need me? No one has ever needed me.”

  “Well time for a change.” Dahlia flew lower, pointing towards Eden. “You shall stay there for a time, very comfortable.”

  He frowned. “I am not to be imprisoned?’

  “Not in the chains kind of way. I think you shall find, however, that you will have no desire to leave. Even now, you think of the opportunities, you hope for the truth in what I say. You have yearned to know, to see, what it is really like.”

  “You could be lying.”

  “But I am not.” She lost her smile. “If you do not stay and help me, a friend, possibly more than one will die and I simply cannot allow that because I love them
, Jegudiel.” Dahlia thought of Furcas and struggled not to cry. “We have lost love and I need it to return, without it there is no reason to continue.”

  Jegudiel reached out to touch her cheek, Dahlia allowed him to do so. He felt her emotions clearly. He did not look pleased, but he nodded. “Show me and I will decide. I sense I cannot leave regardless.”

  Dahlia hugged him. “Thank you.”

  Jegudiel sucked in air. “I have not done anything and yet you thank me. No one has thanked me for anything and you do it genuinely, for one who did not lift a hand to save you or Lucifer.”

  Dahlia shrugged and kissed his forehead. “You have a good, non-violent heart. Just because you did not fight in the war, this does not mean you sided with Michael.”

  Jegudiel nodded and looked out at the planet. Sunlight glittered on the water; the air carried the scent of green growing things. He hummed without thinking of it. Dahlia joined him. Jegudiel blushed. “I am sorry.”

  “Why?”

  “My voice does not compare to Lucifer’s.”

  Dahlia laughed, making him blush darker. “I like hearing a song of innocence.”

  Jegudiel smiled shyly and breathed in. “Why am I not sick?”

  “I have granted you passage. Come; let me show you more of your new home.”

  ***

  Paimon stood in the middle of his living room. Completely cleared of boxes, it was back to normal. He had his arms out at his sides, eyes closed. He sniffed the air. “What direction am I facing?”

  “Towards the door.” Andy watched him from the couch. Belial sat next to him, the pair held hands.

  Paimon pivoted and sniffed. “And now?”

  “Towards the kitchen.”

  Paimon lurched towards the left and smacked Andy’s shoulder. “Couch.”

  “You got it.”

  “I can get this.” Paimon nodded. He opened his mouth to speak when there was a knock on the front door.

  Andy got up to open it. He stuck his head out and did a double take. “Dahlia, what is he doing here?”

  Belial jumped up. “What? Who is it?”

  Andy grabbed Belial and pulled her back from the door before she could see. Dahlia stepped in with Jegudiel; the Archangel’s wrists were pinned at his side.